10 THE LOST GENERATION- I had forgotten (1967)

In the mid-1960s, The Lost Generation were handled as the gold standard of dance bands in the St. Pölten region. After all, most local competitors were still going through the motions with cover versions of the Beatles and Stones, while this four-piece already presented their own material—a move that should prove the recipe for success.

As was to be expected, they won a prestigious Lower Austrian band contest in 1966, which earned them studio time and the possibility to release two tracks composed by the group’s bassist (and later Jazz guitarist) Helmut Scherner. The resulting 7” was a worthy affair: With the A side “I had forgotten”, a dizzying Folk Beat original reminiscent of the Byrds, the single counts as one of the most intense moments of the Schnitzelbeat era ever recorded. Unfortunately, their first should also remain the group’s only release, as the Lost Generation parted ways soon after. A few years later, a Vienna group of the same name jumped the so-called “Vernacular Wave” in Austrian Pop music, and released two 7” singles that sold considerably well. Buyers beware: The two bands are not interconnected in any way.